Preview — A Bottle in the Gaza Sea
by Valérie Zenatti

A Bottle in the Gaza Sea

I'm full of fear and full of hope writing to you like this. I've never written to someone I didn't know. It feels strange. I don't know if what I'm doing is good or bad, crazy or just eccentric, useful or pointless.

When Israeli teenager Tal Levine decides to throw a bottle with a letter into the Gaza Sea, she has little idea what to expect. Against all odds, Tal longs to sI'm full of fear and full of hope writing to you like this. I've never written to someone I didn't know. It feels strange. I don't know if what I'm doing is good or bad, crazy or just eccentric, useful or pointless.

When Israeli teenager Tal Levine decides to throw a bottle with a letter into the Gaza Sea, she has little idea what to expect. Against all odds, Tal longs to strike up a correspondence with someone on the other side -- to forge something positive out of the turbulent and troubled times in which Israelis and Palestinians live. But what kind of response might a Palestinian give to an Israeli girl? Tal is not expecting "Gazaman," the boy who retrieves her bottle on a Gaza beach: Gazaman, a thorny, sarcastic young man with a reluctance to reveal anything about his true identity; Gazaman, who at first mocks Tal, only to be gradually drawn in by her. A remarkable e-mail exchange begins, which shakes the beliefs of both to the core and confounds all their expectations....more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.3.5/5

The author is an Israeli and I personally thought it showed. Her portrayal of "Gazaman" felt incomplete. I might be being too hasty but I was annoyed that "Gazaman" was so down on his faith and all aspects of Muslim culture. He had nothing positive to say about Palestine which I thought took away from the supposedly neutral tone of the book. He mocks his culture in addition to Tal and since I have a lot of respect for the Muslim culture, this grated on me. In addition I have mixed feelings3.5/5

The author is an Israeli and I personally thought it showed. Her portrayal of "Gazaman" felt incomplete. I might be being too hasty but I was annoyed that "Gazaman" was so down on his faith and all aspects of Muslim culture. He had nothing positive to say about Palestine which I thought took away from the supposedly neutral tone of the book. He mocks his culture in addition to Tal and since I have a lot of respect for the Muslim culture, this grated on me. In addition I have mixed feelings about the ending. I liked how open-ended it was (which is rare for me because I usually detest those. I'd take a sad ending over no ending almost any day), it works just right for this book. I would however, have appreciated a sequel/epilogue just to know where both of them are in their respective lives three years later. I finished the book not liking Tal but I respected her. She was just SO CHEERFUL and optimistic, it was too much. No wonder Gazaman felt the need to bring her back to reality sometimes. I found her a bit unrealistic in that she immediately told this male stranger all about her life, included a picture, etc. Also on the author's part, sometimes she would explain a lot about a character (for example Tal's brother, Eyyan) but not others (like Tal's boyfriend, Ori). Plus Tal would write down conversations she had with people and they were often extremely long dialogues.

This may sound odd but I was pleased that Ori was a good guy. I'm growing tired of the storyline where a new guy comes in and then the girl wakes up and realizes that *GASP* her boyfriend is actually a jerk. Ori was fairly one-dimensional but he wasn't perfect and yet they had a strong relationship, even though Tal was writing to Gazaman. I adored Gazaman and his biting sense of humor, mainly because I'm sarcastic all the time with my friends so I have a fondness for good sarcasm. The author did an excellent job of making it clear when Gazaman was being sarcastic and when he was serious, "[w]e should set up an Israeli-Palestinian asylum, you and me. It would be a beautiful symbol of reconciliation as Westerners say. We could call it the Majnun & Meshuga Institute, with our motto engraved over the door: Peace comes from insanity" (pg. 121), I think that's an utterly brilliant motto. Perhaps the email exchange between two strangers is an easy way to explain a complex situation but I didn't care because I was fascinated by the descriptions of life in the Gaza Strip (Palestine) versus life in Israel. Different hardly begins to describe the two places.

A Bottle in the Gaza Sea has one of the most appropriate endings I've come across, not hopelessly optimistic but open ended enough that it could be happy. I wanted a bit more clarity but the ending works. I loved every minute of observing Jerusalem with Tal, surveying the Gaza Strip with Gazaman. And like both Tal (and although he wouldn't admit it at first, Gazaman) I eagerly awaited their emails to each other. I became caught up in stories about the bombings, fearing the author would utterly break my heart (and she sort-of did. Just consider lines like the following, "I don't understand how life can hinge on so little: whether or not you feel like going to the cafe along a certain street", pg. 9). I would have liked more space/explanation/introspection in between the dialogue and further exploration of Gazaman's Muslim faith (why is he so delusional? Was he even raised Muslim?). On a more personal note I really enjoyed this book because I knew bits and pieces about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but not much. This book pried my eyes wide open and forced me to do a double-take, I love when a book makes me do that! An arresting tale that manages to walk the fine line between not being naively optimistic nor being pessimistically realistic. I wish I could give this book not only to all American high school students and government leaders but to all Israelis and Palestinians as well. Like the letters Tal and Gazaman write to each other, it would be another drop in the ocean. And to be perfectly honest, before reading this book I would have said I was more sympathetic to the Israeli cause. Now I'm torn. But I will keep reading so that I can make up my mind and be truly well-informed.

*I watched the movie based on this book, so the review below is in relation to the movie not the book.

Tal is a seventeen-year-old girl who has moved to Jerusalem with her family. One day there is a suicide bomber that attacks a cafe near her home & she starts to wonder if there really has to be so much hate between Palestinians & Israelis. She writes a letter, places it in a bottle, and gives hit to her brother to throw it into the Gaza Sea. A group of Palestinian boys find and one of th*I watched the movie based on this book, so the review below is in relation to the movie not the book.

Tal is a seventeen-year-old girl who has moved to Jerusalem with her family. One day there is a suicide bomber that attacks a cafe near her home & she starts to wonder if there really has to be so much hate between Palestinians & Israelis. She writes a letter, places it in a bottle, and gives hit to her brother to throw it into the Gaza Sea. A group of Palestinian boys find and one of them decides to write her back. Here begins a very interesting & complicated relationship between two people of very different cultures. This movie is appropriate for grades 9+ and can help to illustrate the extreme discord between two cultures, but how there is hope for change....more

This was a quick read, and being YA it should be. I thought it presented both sides of the conflict in Israel and gives good narratives. It tells a story and makes you feel like you know both main characters. The ending was abrupt but with a shorter YA book you must end somewhere. I would love to hear from YA readers what they think of this story.

A Bottle in the Gaza Sea By: Valerie Zenatti Tal, an Israeli teenage girl, writes a letter promoting peace with Palestine. She puts this letter in a bottle and asks her brother to throw it in the Gaza Sea. To her surprise a Palestinian young man answers, and they begin an email relationship. Both Tal and Naim realize that the other sides are not as they had perceived. They grow to depend on each other and the support that their emails and instant messages provide. Over time Tal and Naim fall inA Bottle in the Gaza Sea By: Valerie Zenatti Tal, an Israeli teenage girl, writes a letter promoting peace with Palestine. She puts this letter in a bottle and asks her brother to throw it in the Gaza Sea. To her surprise a Palestinian young man answers, and they begin an email relationship. Both Tal and Naim realize that the other sides are not as they had perceived. They grow to depend on each other and the support that their emails and instant messages provide. Over time Tal and Naim fall in love and hope to meet. Naim decides to leave Palestine and go to college in Canada. The story ends by him asking her if they can meet in three years time, he says she will know him because he will be holding her bottle. This book is a young adult fictional novel. There are no illustrations other then the cover art. The cover is straight to the point, and really portrays the message behind the story of Tal and Naim. War is sad and it affects everyone. I would recommend this book to young adults ages 14-18. There are a few graphic bombing events that would be upsetting to younger readers. I could see this book being used in high school programs in either English or history. This story is a great way to learn more about the war happening in the Gaza strip. The author spends a lot of the story talking about true events that happened in the area, so not a lot of previous background knowledge is required. I would also recommend reading this text and watching the movie Persepolis. Students could compare the events in this book to the events going on between Iran and Iraq. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it even for adults as a window book. I learned a lot about the culture, and more about the events that led up to the tensions in the area. ...more

I'm giving this book five stars, not merely because of the level of writing (which is quite good) but more because of the depth of the issues that Zenatti has tackled and the grace with which she tackled it.

A 17 year old Israeli girl has arranged for a bottle with a note - a grasp at peace - to be dropped into the Gaza Sea, hoping a Palestinian will find it and they can begin some sort of communication. A Palestinian does find it, and their emails to each other are scattered throughout the book.I'm giving this book five stars, not merely because of the level of writing (which is quite good) but more because of the depth of the issues that Zenatti has tackled and the grace with which she tackled it.

A 17 year old Israeli girl has arranged for a bottle with a note - a grasp at peace - to be dropped into the Gaza Sea, hoping a Palestinian will find it and they can begin some sort of communication. A Palestinian does find it, and their emails to each other are scattered throughout the book. At the same time, we enter their lives - the life of a Jew in Jerusalem and of a Palestinian living on the Gaza Strip. We spent time learning a bit of each of their histories and the current circumstances they face.

What is amazing about this book is that the author doesn't paint either the Israeli or the Palestinian as the "bad guys" or "the victim." You truly get a sense that BOTH sides are injured, tired and hurting - acts of terror are being done by both sides TO both sides and it's not getting anyone anywhere. She ties in a lot of contemporary history and it makes the text feel so real and relevant, you truly get a sense for what life in that area might be like. The relationship between these two people deeps as they become aware that, in the end, they both want the same thing: for their lives to be "normal."

I wasn't thrilled with the ending at first - it stopped a bit short for me. But the more I've let it roll around in my head, the more fitting it has become. We can't expect things in the Middle East to be tied up nicely with some love and a big bow. There will be no "conclusion," probably ever, to the disagreements between these two groups of people, but that finding hope and tolerance, even in yourself, is a triumph worth celebrating....more

In the midst of a tumultuous situation in Palestine, a young Israeli teenage girl searches out for peace in difficult times. Not expecting anyone to reply, the girl, Tal asks her brother to place a letter she had written crying out for peace into the Gaza Sea. Much to her surprise, a young Palestinian man answers and they begin to email back and forth. Although the two come from different backgrounds, they begin to see that their ideals are not as different as they had once thought. The two begiIn the midst of a tumultuous situation in Palestine, a young Israeli teenage girl searches out for peace in difficult times. Not expecting anyone to reply, the girl, Tal asks her brother to place a letter she had written crying out for peace into the Gaza Sea. Much to her surprise, a young Palestinian man answers and they begin to email back and forth. Although the two come from different backgrounds, they begin to see that their ideals are not as different as they had once thought. The two begin to fall in love with each other, and they one day hope to meet. Gazaman, the young Palestinian man, makes the decision to leave Palestine to go to college in Canada, and the story ends with him promising to meet her in three years’ time. The book is full insightful information, and could be very informative to readers that don’t know much about the war that is going on in the Gaza Strip.

This book is targeted at young adult readers. This book focuses in on a topic that is current and will allow students to be aware of what is going on around the world, as well as allow them to see historical events in way that they are able to relate to.

This was a wonderful book. The author did such a great job of painting pictures in my mind and vividly describing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ***Before reading this book, I would do some research on the war that is currently going on Israel, and also learn some more about Islam and Judaism*** There was some profanity/swearing in the book, but nothing too offensive. The author also did a great job of developing the characters and making you care for them. Although, the ending was not what I

This was a wonderful book. The author did such a great job of painting pictures in my mind and vividly describing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ***Before reading this book, I would do some research on the war that is currently going on Israel, and also learn some more about Islam and Judaism*** There was some profanity/swearing in the book, but nothing too offensive. The author also did a great job of developing the characters and making you care for them. Although, the ending was not what I expected. Overall, this book was a great read and certainly one that should be on your to-read shelf:)...more

I wanted to read this after seeing the movie. the basic story is the same - the details are quite different. An Israeli teenager writes a letter after a cafe bombing in Jerusalem which she puts into a bottle and has her soldier brother throw it into the Gaza Sea. A 20 year old Palestinian guy finds it and the two begin a secret correspondence which allows each to begin to understand the other. This is a very good intro for teens and young adults to begin to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conI wanted to read this after seeing the movie. the basic story is the same - the details are quite different. An Israeli teenager writes a letter after a cafe bombing in Jerusalem which she puts into a bottle and has her soldier brother throw it into the Gaza Sea. A 20 year old Palestinian guy finds it and the two begin a secret correspondence which allows each to begin to understand the other. This is a very good intro for teens and young adults to begin to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict....more

This book was so beautiful , real and eye-opening. I've always wanted to know and learn more about the israeli-palestinian conflict and now that I've read this book I'm so interested in getting into books that can give me some kind of information and perspective on it.

I enjoyed the unusual setting of this book-- one character in Israel, one character in the Gaza Strip. As each tries to understand the other, they grow and change. I wish the book had been longer, however, more fleshed out. Nevertheless, recommended!

I picked up this book for the PopSugar 2017 reading challenge - a book of letters. It's a bit of a stretch, the book is told in *mostly* emails, but it counts for me. :)

Israeli Tal lives through a horrible scare when a cafe near her home is demolished by a bomb. As a way to reach out into the abyss, she puts a letter in a bottle, asks her brother (who is reporting for duty across the sea in Gaza) to throw it into the sea, and then waits. She gets a response back, by email, from a boy who calls hI picked up this book for the PopSugar 2017 reading challenge - a book of letters. It's a bit of a stretch, the book is told in *mostly* emails, but it counts for me. :)

Israeli Tal lives through a horrible scare when a cafe near her home is demolished by a bomb. As a way to reach out into the abyss, she puts a letter in a bottle, asks her brother (who is reporting for duty across the sea in Gaza) to throw it into the sea, and then waits. She gets a response back, by email, from a boy who calls himself Gazaman. Despite their differences - Israeli/Palestinian, Jewish/Muslim, Hebrew-speaking/Arabic-speaking, girl/boy, hopeful/cynical - they begin an honest communication about their experiences in their homes. Through this exchange, they learn about fear, war, humanity, family, and friendship.

I can't say it's a totally satisfying read - after all, even fiction authors can't imagine a peace treaty that sticks between Israeli and Palestinian citizens - but I felt lighter and more hopeful after reading this. The key real is that we need to see people as individuals, rather than clumping them into some indistinct group based on region of residence, language, religion, ethnicity, or anything else - a point well-made in this book....more

This Romeo & Juliet-type story takes place “’where all … happened and this is where everything still will happen.’” Jerusalem is seen as the “center of the universe” and the Israelis and Palestinians are people who are “damaging the thing they claim to love.” The 17-year old daughter of a Jerusalem tour guide, Tal, lives in fear of terrorists, their bombs, and violence. She explains to the reader the 1993 peace treaty signed by Rabin and Arafat, along with Bill Clinton (who according to herThis Romeo & Juliet-type story takes place “’where all … happened and this is where everything still will happen.’” Jerusalem is seen as the “center of the universe” and the Israelis and Palestinians are people who are “damaging the thing they claim to love.” The 17-year old daughter of a Jerusalem tour guide, Tal, lives in fear of terrorists, their bombs, and violence. She explains to the reader the 1993 peace treaty signed by Rabin and Arafat, along with Bill Clinton (who according to her looked like an actor from a soap opera.) Her hopes echo her people’s that Palestinians and Israelis would live in peace but she has witnessed that there is no peace in her homeland. Asking her brother, an Israeli soldier to drop a bottle with a note into the Gaza Sea, she hopes to talk to someone on the other side (a Palestinian) to discuss her dreams, and ask questions about the motivations of killing innocent people. The bottle is picked up by a teenage Palestinian boy named, Naim. Their discourse starts as a casual conversation through email communication, but evolves into a romantic interlude over time.

Initially, I think that students will be drawn to this book because of the way the two main characters are communicating—electronically. They never meet face-to-face and I realized during the reading of this text that it mirrored much of what is happening with social networks and students. This type of communication is a strong part of adolescent culture for many students worldwide. The author points out some valuable insights into this communication by stating, “What a strange game. Who’s the cat and who’s the mouse?” (then the female character asks herself) “writing for two months and I still don’t know what he’s thinking.” This dialogue highlighted what texting/chat room/emailing/instant messaging types of communications can be like. I’ve heard some of my students, particularly female, mention this: they text and use the Internet to talk to boys, but they are unsatisfied with the communication. Tal asks herself, “I could be the only person having this sort of experience: an anonymous private contact. It’s disconcerting. Who is it out there, really?” Boys and girls do have these kinds of questions and wonder about what they are getting themselves into sometimes through the Internet. Tal says that electronic communication is “so easy, so deceptive. One could have a thousand pseudonyms, invent different identities, and lie, and have discussions with other people who may be lying too.” I think this book could be used to teach students about the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, but also an instructor could teach a segment on electronic communication, asking questions about the positive and negative aspects of it, and why it is or is not effective. The dangers of the Internet could be taught for middle school students in particular.

Once students are hooked on the romantic element of the secret electronic communication between the characters, they will learn what it is like to experience the opposite cultures of Jews and Muslims. Through Tal’s tour guide father, the reader learns about the importance of the geography, architecture, and customs of the Jews, Muslims, (and Christians). Readers gain a sense of the religious cultural significance of Jerusalem for all three groups. Naim provides insight into what it is like to live in the Gaza Strip, a world that is best described by what it doesn’t have: parks, trees, shops, pretty streets, etc. It is the region’s “garbage dump” to him. He accurately describes life in a refugee camp. Tal (like the reader), has her eyes opened to what happens on the other side of the sea—the boredom, poverty, and destitution. Naim also questions strict Islamic law. In his culture, he is not allowed to drink alcohol, look at girls, or listen to rap music because those are things that the “unclean American devils” participate in. His honesty allows the reader to examine the culture and discover why he is unsatisfied with aspects of it. He agrees with Tal that violence is not the answer to the problems in his world. This book will address how students can “form… a connection with a shadow” when they communicate electronically, but it also directs the reader to investigate the ancient conflicts in Jerusalem from the Crusaders to the present. Woven in the story is the heart-wrenching sorrow that these cultures experience through the daily violence that seems to have no end.

An excellent film that could accompany the reading of this book is titled, “Promises.” It is a documentary nominated for an Academy Award in 2001. It features seven Palestinian and Israeli children’s attitudes and assumptions about their own cultures and the culture of their enemy. Students watching this film could identify with the children, and they would learn about the physical, historical, and emotional boundaries that separate these two peoples. Because the children are so engaging, I believe that students would be able to understand and empathize with both sides of the issue. Seeing the conditions of refugee camps would be beneficial to comprehending the culture of the Palestinians who teach their females to dance for freedom, and their males to fight for it. Viewing an Israeli settlement will help students recognize that some of the hatred stems from ancient cultural beliefs and physical boundaries such as barbed wire fences that separate the two groups. This film is rich with visual cultural references such as clothing, personal grooming habits, and praying customs of both groups. Male and female stereotypes of these cultures are also exhibited for the viewer. In order to scaffold background knowledge and make this book come to life, I would allow students to view this film.

This book, a bottle in the Gaza sea by Valérie Zenatti, is about a girl living on 'the other side' of a boy she meats through a message she sends to the Gaza strip. This boy, called Gaza man, has conversations which Tal, the protagonist, responds to and talks about how life is like on the other side of the battle field. She worries about him and so does he, they become friends and tell stories if how they wish their lives were. the characters are really well developed in the book which really heThis book, a bottle in the Gaza sea by Valérie Zenatti, is about a girl living on 'the other side' of a boy she meats through a message she sends to the Gaza strip. This boy, called Gaza man, has conversations which Tal, the protagonist, responds to and talks about how life is like on the other side of the battle field. She worries about him and so does he, they become friends and tell stories if how they wish their lives were. the characters are really well developed in the book which really helps the reader to connect to the lives of the characters. this is a very interesting book because of its realism. i didn't realise that all this war actually happened and how the victims felt and feel.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the world history or about how and understanding can make a difference. ...more

The story on itself is beautiful; wanting to make a difference in a world full of hatred, wanting to reach out for the beauty hidden by the war, wanting to make a friend. A book that will make you cry as it makes you realize the cruelty and hate that exist in this world.

I purchased and watched the film, "A Bottle In The Gaza Sea" only recently and thought it was fantastic. I am a huge lover of Middle Eastern films and books, especially ones dealing with the conflict between Israel and Palestine. When I read that the film was based on the book Une Bouteille dans la Mer de Gaza, published in France in 2005, I HAD to find it, and hope to God that there was an English translation. Thankfully, there was(!) and I bought it right away. I only just finished reading itI purchased and watched the film, "A Bottle In The Gaza Sea" only recently and thought it was fantastic. I am a huge lover of Middle Eastern films and books, especially ones dealing with the conflict between Israel and Palestine. When I read that the film was based on the book Une Bouteille dans la Mer de Gaza, published in France in 2005, I HAD to find it, and hope to God that there was an English translation. Thankfully, there was(!) and I bought it right away. I only just finished reading it at the time of writing this.

I wondered how closely the book would be to the film. The basic premise is the same (view spoiler)[(including ambiguous ending) (hide spoiler)], but how the story plays out is actually quite different! Pleasantly different, I must say. I enjoy both versions of the story, and can see how and why they made certain changes for the cinematic version. For example, in the book they both correspond in Hebrew only. In the film, they start out writing English, and then in French (as 'Gazaman' is learning). Many more changes as well but I will leave that for everyone else to discover.

I won't go into what the story was actually ABOUT because there are a million other reviews on here that will tell you that. But I'll tell you how much I loved it and why I gave it five stars.

Firstly, I felt such a huge connection with both Tal and 'Gazaman'. They felt so REAL, they literally jumped out of the pages. I like how it took them ages to really get to know each other. A few paragraphs that really struck me was when Tal was talking about reading The Diary of Anne Frank, and how she couldn't believe that if Anne had held on for TWO more months, she would have made it out of the war. How Tal wanted to go back in time and tell Anne to hang on. I feel exactly the same way, and so I knew I could relate to Tal immediately.

I loved the structure of the novel, emails interspersed by individual monologues from the characters. I loved the way Zenatti gave us very honest points of view for BOTH sides of the conflict. Whilst the political issues happening in that part of the world were a large focus, Tal and Gazaman's friendship was the true heart of the story.

I liked the fact that the focus here was on the Gaza Strip, rather than the West Bank. I think every other Palestinian-Israeli film I've watched is West Bank-focussed, which I suppose makes sense because of the larger population, and Jerusalem being split between the two nations. So it was refreshing to have a point of view from Gaza.

I won't lie, but at the end I bawled my eyes out. I honestly felt like I had read about friends of mine, that's how real everything seemed to me. (view spoiler)[And I hate and love that the ending was a 'cliffhanger' of sorts... I would love to read a sequel... I want to know if they ever met in Rome, at the fountain... Oh, it tortures me so! I know why she ended it the way she did, but it's still very frustrating to me! (hide spoiler)]. If you are interested in the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, and about the 'real' and honest people who live there, you will definitely enjoy this book. Highly recommend. (And please WATCH THE FILM, TOO!!!)....more

A Bottle in the Gaza Sea is about a seventeen year olds life in Jerusalem during a time of war. When Tal’s brother is sent to Gaza to fight she asks if he would throw a bottle with a letter she had wrote into the Gaza Sea. Tal wishes to communicate with a Palestinian girl like her, but when the first email comes she is shocked to find out that it is from a boy, Naim. The first few emails are rocky because of several cultural misunderstandings that are blown out of proportion, but after a while A Bottle in the Gaza Sea is about a seventeen year olds life in Jerusalem during a time of war. When Tal’s brother is sent to Gaza to fight she asks if he would throw a bottle with a letter she had wrote into the Gaza Sea. Tal wishes to communicate with a Palestinian girl like her, but when the first email comes she is shocked to find out that it is from a boy, Naim. The first few emails are rocky because of several cultural misunderstandings that are blown out of proportion, but after a while an interesting friendship blooms. Through more email exchanges a close friendship forms and is tested when Tal witnesses a terrible event while pursuing her love of film. This book would be a good read, especially for American teens, because it shows life in the Middle East focused on characters that are similar in age. Readers may enjoy the realistic nature of the email exchanges between Tal and Naim. It should be noted that this book was originally published in French so occasionally some sentences are worded strangely due to the translation to English. It is rich in cultural detail and can be seen from Tal’s perspective as a young women living in Israeli. The emails she sends to Naim are where a lot of the cultures beliefs and ideas are shared with the reader. The reader will also get a perspective from Naim’s emails as he views life in Palestine. Since the characters are from different cultures, the reader will gain knowledge on two cultures during a troubling time. During the first few emails the young writers have some misunderstandings about the others culture. Due to these mistakes the reader observes how people treat cultural issues when it is not their culture. The emails that are written are so realistic that the reader forgets that the story is fiction. The bond that the two characters have becomes strong and shows that learning about other cultures is an easy way for humanity to form a common bond. ...more

A Bottle in the Gaza Sea by Valerie Zenatti is a very informative and great book. The story is about a girl named Tal who lives in Jerusalem. It originally begins as a journal but then becomes her letters to a Palestinian she believes she has never met. Tal’s older brother is in the army and she gives him a bottle with a special e-mail address she has set up for mailing a Palestinian and has him put it in the Gaza Sea. Surprisingly someone does answer Tal, a mysterious guy who lives on the GazaA Bottle in the Gaza Sea by Valerie Zenatti is a very informative and great book. The story is about a girl named Tal who lives in Jerusalem. It originally begins as a journal but then becomes her letters to a Palestinian she believes she has never met. Tal’s older brother is in the army and she gives him a bottle with a special e-mail address she has set up for mailing a Palestinian and has him put it in the Gaza Sea. Surprisingly someone does answer Tal, a mysterious guy who lives on the Gaza Strip. He does not give much information about himself in his letter to Tal. At first they are very rude and hateful towards each other. This is from the idea of each state having to be enemies even though individuals can get along. Both know that it is very risky to email each other and they would be in a lot of trouble and danger if anyone found out. Yet they continued to email each other and many different interesting events occur.The twist at the end of this story was very surprising. This book gives the reader great information on the Israeli Palestinian Conflict. It gives a great perspective on what the conflict is actually like to someone living in the area. It shows the daily life of a teenager living in an area affected by the conflict. This book also shows how much emotional trauma this conflict causes for residents of Israel and Palestine. This story teaches that even people who are supposed to be enemies actually have a lot in common. It shows how they can overcome their differences and actually become friends. This can relate to many high school students who are part of different groups and aren’t supposed to like people from other groups but they do anyway. It was a great book that everyone should read....more

This book was described to me as "a modern day Romeo and Juliet set in Israel/Palestine." And while I sort of get the comparison, it doesn't really fit. This isn't a story of two teens falling in love. It's a story of two teens (well, a 17 year old and a 20 year old, if I remember correctly) who write emails back and forth and learn more about each other.

The characters here were interesting. They definitely weren't the clichés I might have expected when reading a book on this subject. I felt itThis book was described to me as "a modern day Romeo and Juliet set in Israel/Palestine." And while I sort of get the comparison, it doesn't really fit. This isn't a story of two teens falling in love. It's a story of two teens (well, a 17 year old and a 20 year old, if I remember correctly) who write emails back and forth and learn more about each other.

The characters here were interesting. They definitely weren't the clichés I might have expected when reading a book on this subject. I felt it could have done a slightly better job at explaining both sides, but it still did a pretty good job of making me like and sympathize with both sides, and both characters. There's a good message, and I liked that the whole thing was grounded in history, even though this is a fictional novel.

I guess I was just expecting more. I wanted more history than we were given. I wanted to know more about the characters' lives. And Tal was supposed to be 17, but she read as though she were much younger, maybe 13 or 14 at the oldest. She just seemed a bit too immature or naïve or something like that for someone who's supposed to be 17.

Overall, this wasn't a horrible story. It's the sort of book I would have enjoyed reading for school but probably wouldn’t have picked up to read on my own (I read this because my professor recommended it). That said, if you enjoy reading about this region of the world, or if you've never read about it and want a book to start with that wouldn't be overwhelming, this is probably a good one to start with. ...more

Tal is a seventeen year old Israeli girl who has been brought up to believe that peace with Palestine is possible. Believing that personal contact with someone in Gaza is important to that process, she writes a note, places it in a bottle, and asks her brother to send it to sea when he reports to duty. The recipient turns out to be a sarcastic, angry 20-year old Palestinian young man. The two begin an email correspondence.

This was really hard for me to rate. If I were rating it from my personalTal is a seventeen year old Israeli girl who has been brought up to believe that peace with Palestine is possible. Believing that personal contact with someone in Gaza is important to that process, she writes a note, places it in a bottle, and asks her brother to send it to sea when he reports to duty. The recipient turns out to be a sarcastic, angry 20-year old Palestinian young man. The two begin an email correspondence.

This was really hard for me to rate. If I were rating it from my personal perspective I would probably rate it a three, as I found Tal too immature for a girl of her age living in her circumstances and some of the references anachronistic. In the end, I rated it as a four because I think this should be required reading in the middle school/high school curriculum. It provides very good context for the issues related to conflict between Palestine and Israel and shows how difficult it is to hate someone you take the time to get to know. These works, invariably, are sympathetic to one side. This work has Palestinian sympathies. But, I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing for purposes of introduction of the study within a curriculum if it is handled correctly, and it is not so heavily biased that discussion from the Israeli point of view is discarded. Tal asks Naim some very pointed questions, although we never hear his answer. I also was a bit disappointed in the ending. ...more

As a method of self-defense against increasing Israeli-Palestinian violence, feisty 17-year-old Israeli Tal writes a note and sticks it in a bottle. She asks her brother to throw the bottle in the Gaza sea, with hopes that she’ll meet a Palestinian girl and somehow put a personality to the people she knows must be behind the fence. What she gets is 20-year-old Naim, a scathingly sarcastic, but nice-under-the-surface Palestinian man. The book is a series of emails between the two, and as their unAs a method of self-defense against increasing Israeli-Palestinian violence, feisty 17-year-old Israeli Tal writes a note and sticks it in a bottle. She asks her brother to throw the bottle in the Gaza sea, with hopes that she’ll meet a Palestinian girl and somehow put a personality to the people she knows must be behind the fence. What she gets is 20-year-old Naim, a scathingly sarcastic, but nice-under-the-surface Palestinian man. The book is a series of emails between the two, and as their understanding of each other grows, so does their affection for one another. This was a really sweet book. It was silly, as are all teenage romances, but actually believable (if you have faith in coincidence). I was surprised while reading because I’d originally thought the author was Israeli, writing for Israeli teens—but the book is written by a French woman who lived in Israel when she was younger. The target audience is therefore teens who do not necessarily know all the background in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. This is something I appreciated, because I felt like I understood what they were talking about when they mentioned political and historical events. This is a quick, enjoyable read....more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.This book started slowly, and I was rather incredulous about the Pollyanna-esque approach of the protagonist. However, once the sarcastic, cynical "Gazaman" came on the scene, the conflicting voices and way the characters impacted each-other made this a good read. In fact, by the last few chapters, I couldn't put this book down.

Knowing Hebrew and having gone to a Jewish Day School for most of my formative years gave me a different perspective on this book. Some of the parts where I was like, "DThis book started slowly, and I was rather incredulous about the Pollyanna-esque approach of the protagonist. However, once the sarcastic, cynical "Gazaman" came on the scene, the conflicting voices and way the characters impacted each-other made this a good read. In fact, by the last few chapters, I couldn't put this book down.

Knowing Hebrew and having gone to a Jewish Day School for most of my formative years gave me a different perspective on this book. Some of the parts where I was like, "Duh!" might be necesssary for other readers for whom the Middle-Eastern political history is less familliar. For me, though, those sections were too expository. I needed more verbs.

The best part about this book, other than its intelligent characters, is its unclear ending. This isn't the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet or the happy ending of Cinderella. It is more a hopeful question mark-- which seems to mirror the author's approach to the broader issues surrounding Israel and Gaza, as well. ...more

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Valérie Zenatti was born in Nice on April Fool’s Day 1970. When she was thirteen she went to live with her parents in Israel, where she did her national service, which inspired her memoir, When I was a Soldier. Even now she doesn’t go out without her survival kit — these days of a book, a notepad and a pen. Valérie now lives in Paris, where she works as a translator of Hebrew. She is also writingValérie Zenatti was born in Nice on April Fool’s Day 1970. When she was thirteen she went to live with her parents in Israel, where she did her national service, which inspired her memoir, When I was a Soldier. Even now she doesn’t go out without her survival kit — these days of a book, a notepad and a pen. Valérie now lives in Paris, where she works as a translator of Hebrew. She is also writing screenplays based on two of her books, Late for War and Message in a Bottle. Valérie is continually surprised and delighted at seeing Lucas, aged eight, and Nina, nearly two, grow up....more